Ancient Lore Village

I’ve been here twice- Once years ago for a wine tasting dinner which we loved also, but tonight for a candle making workshop and dinner that was phenomenal. The activity itself was fun and they used quality supplies for the candles (soy wax, dried flowers, essential oils). Hayden was especially great- personable and genuinely happy to be there- but the whole group did a great job. I had to ask the name of the chef (Amy) because the food was out of this world. It was the elegant kind of simple, very hearty, so perfectly well seasoned, and texturally excellent. I felt like a happy little hobbit. I can’t wait to go back.

I am writing this review as both a previous guest AND as a bride with a wedding here back on 10/04/2025. Firstly, the staff are INCREDIBLE. I truly have only positive things to say about every single person who works here. Everyone we met was lovely, friendly, and kind. They went above and beyond for our wedding and in general, as regular guests.
-The food and culinary team are fantastic. Delicious food every time we have eaten here (dinner, brunch, our wedding).
-The location is convenient, approx. 15 minutes from downtown Knox. There is plenty of parking.
-The entire area is very pretty. The hotel rooms and spaces are well-maintained and you WILL feel like you are in another world.
-They have SO many cool activities and events here too! I wish we lived close enough to visit more often.
-Yes, this is a boutique hotel and it is not inexpensive; rooms average $300+ per night on average in my experience. It is much more affordable in the off season, e.g., winter.

We visited during the off-season and stayed in the Gremlin Den. Rowan at the front desk was dressed to match the theme and stayed in character, which was a fun and memorable way to start our trip. The room itself was perfectly on theme, and we really appreciated the attention to detail in that regard.

We stayed one night, with check-in at 4 pm and check-out at 10 am. I do wish check-out had been later, perhaps closer to noon. Unfortunately, the cleanliness of the room could have been better. The counters had visible crumbs, and the floors were dusty and dirty. Our socks picked up quite a bit from walking around the room, which was disappointing.

We also participated in the scavenger hunt. I was expecting something more challenging with riddles that required some thought, but instead it consisted mostly of straightforward questions directing us to different locations. It felt more geared toward younger children and was a bit underwhelming. Overall, the activities did not quite meet our expectations.

That said, our Valentine’s dinner was amazing and truly a highlight of the trip. This place has SERIOUS POTENTIAL, if only they found other ways to entertain guests as the price is too steep for a one night stay with no free breakfast/meals.

We had a day out experience here with our kids. It was great! Lunch was excellent and ready to go for our reservation. Axe throwing and archery were fun! We finished the day by enjoying the unique architecture and lawn games. The gift shop and all the staff were so kind and accommodating! Highly recommend!

We went to the movie night and were expecting much more as described on the website. We did not have a table reserved as promised, they did not have the cookie station set up for decorating as promoted, it was really just not that special. They had to many tables in an enclosed tent to view the movie the elf, My party was separated and in the corner we could not even see or hear the movie, complete disappointment. We did end up having some good family time and use a room set up for guest. The event could have been nice they have the place for it, just not ran or set up as advertised. They advertise coffee and hot chocolate the station was not stocked and ready to use, no coffee ever mentioned and they passed out sugar cookies for dessert when I ask about decorating them, the reply was we did it for you. Just a total let down, we did enjoy our time as family being together we made the most of it. My advice, don't advertise something you don't plan to deliver. I spent over 750.00 to take my family, not worth a 1/4 of what they charged for this event. The food was like a pizza buffet at a school lunch. Ancient Lore need to step up your game to charge 59.00 per person. The property is pretty and has so much potential